Officials to Break Ground For Route 100

City and state officials will break ground Friday, April 5, to mark the start of the next phase of the Highway 100 widening project.

The public is invited to the groundbreaking ceremony which will begin at 10 a.m. at the corner of Highway 100 and Huxel Drive.

City leaders, MoDOT officials and the general contractor are expected to participate in the ceremony.

The contractor, Millstone Bangert Inc., plans to start construction work Monday, April 8, weather permitting. The company was the general contractor on the earlier phase to widen Highway 100 from Washington east to Interstate 44.

This new phase involves widening the highway to four lanes from Highway 47 west to a point about 800 feet west of High Street. Two new westbound lanes will be constructed to the north of the existing lanes.

Millstone Bangert was awarded the contract on a bid of $6,233,489.97, which is considerably lower than the construction estimate of $7,345,000 programmed in MoDOT’s five-year state transportation plan for the project.

The contract calls for the project to be completed by Sept. 20, 2013.

The city and MoDOT have a cost-sharing agreement to fund the improvements similar to the one used to construct the widening to the east.

MoDOT has settled with the final property owner over right of way acquired for the eastern phase.

The city is funding its share of the 50-50 project out of the half-cent transportation sales tax approved by voters six years ago.

The plan is to widen Highway 100 from two to five lanes — four traffic lanes and one center turn lane — add dual left turn lanes on Route A/Jefferson Street and add pedestrian facilities and signalized intersections that comply with federal ADA standards. The new lanes will be concrete.

MoDOT officials said this section of Highway 100 has exceeded its capacity for a two-lane roadway and can no longer handle the amount of traffic that uses it on a daily basis resulting in long traffic delays.

The proposed widening and corridor improvements will provide better access to businesses and residential areas, provide increased safety, allow for a more efficient movement of traffic and encourage future economic development along Highway 100, according to MoDOT.